UPDATE: 7 p.m. CTTropical Storm Nate continues to strengthen slightly, with winds up to 65 mph. Nate is located about 90 miles northeast of Cozumel, Mexico. Nate is moving toward the north-northwest near 22 mph, and is expectedto continue to travel this way through Saturday, with a turn toward the north and northeast expected Saturday night and Sunday. Nate's center will move near the northeastern coast of the Yucatan peninsula Friday evening. The storm will then move into the southern Gulf of Mexico, approach the northern Gulf coast Saturday, and then make landfall over the northern Gulf coastSaturday night or Sunday.UPDATE: 4 p.m. CTNate continues to strengthen as it approaches the northeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and Yucatan Channel, where it could near hurricane strength. Life-threatening storm surge flooding is likely along parts of the northern Gulf Coast. A storm surge warning is now in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton county line in Florida. Nate will bring three to six inches of rain, with isolated totals of 10 inches from the central Gulf Coast states into the eastern Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians through the weekend. A hurricane warning has been issued for New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. Parishes in the metro area are beginning to offer sandbags for residents ahead of Nate. Residents have been asked to clear drains and ditches around their homes and make sure all items around their property are picked up or brought inside.A storm surge warning is now in effect east of the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line.A tropical storm warning is now in effect east of the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line.Maximum sustained winds are up to 60 mph.UPDATE: 1 p.m. CTAs Tropical Storm Nate strengthens over the Caribbean Sea, hurricane and storm surge warnings have been issued for the northern Gulf Coast as it looks likely to make landfall late Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.A hurricane warning is in effect from Grand Isle, La., east to the Alabama-Florida border. There is a tropical storm warning in effect for metropolitan New Orleans, as well.CLICK HERE here for an interactive map of active watches and warnings.Maximum sustained winds are up to 50 miles per hour, with the storm speeding up to 21 mph on its north-northwest course. The storm could be near hurricane intensity when it approaches Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula later Friday.After an expected landfall overnight Saturday into Sunday, the fast-moving storm is expected to drop 3 to 6 inches of rain, with up to 12 inches in some spots. It should weaken quickly but bring rain to much of the eastern U.S., bringing heavy rain and the possibility of flash floods to the eastern Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians.Original story:Tropical Storm Nate roared along Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Friday after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 22 deaths, and forecasters said it could reach the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend.Louisiana officials declared a state of emergency and ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall early Sunday, and evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.Nate had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph by Friday afternoon and was likely to strengthen over the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Friday before a possible strike on the Cancun region at the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula at near-hurricane strength. It could hit the U.S. Gulf coast near New Orleans.In Nicaragua, Nate’s arrival followed two weeks of near-constant rain that had left the ground saturated and rivers swollen. Authorities placed the whole country on alert and warned of flooding and landslides.Nicaragua’s vice president and spokeswoman, Rosario Murillo, said that at least 15 people had died in that country due to the storm. She didn’t give details on all the deaths, but said two women and a man who worked for the Health Ministry were swept away by a flooded canal in the central municipality of Juigalpa.Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organism blamed seven deaths in that country on the storm and said 15 people were missing. Flooding drove 5,000 residents into emergency shelters.In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and mobilized 1,300 National Guard troops, with 15 headed to New Orleans to monitor the fragile pumping system there.With forecasts projecting landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane, Edwards urged residents to ready for rainfall, storm surge and severe winds — and to be where they intend to hunker down by “dark on Saturday.”Louisiana’s governor says Nate is forecast to move quickly, rather than stall and drop tremendous amounts of rain on the state. State officials hope that means New Orleans won’t run into problems with its pumps being able to handle the water.Edwards warned, however, against underestimating the storm.Officials ordered the evacuation of part of coastal St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans ahead of the storm. Earlier Thursday, a voluntary evacuation was called in the barrier island town of Grand Isle south of New Orleans.New Orleans officials outlined steps to bolster the city’s pump and drainage system. Weaknesses in that system were revealed during summer flash floods.The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s New Orleans office said in a news release that as of midday Thursday, six production platforms, out of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf, had been evacuated. No drilling rigs were evacuated, but one moveable rig was taken out of the storm’s path.The agency estimated less than 15 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in, which equates to 254,607 barrels of oil per day.Early Friday, the storm was centered about 230 miles south-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and was moving north-northwest at 14 mph.

UPDATE: 7 p.m. CT

Tropical Storm Nate continues to strengthen slightly, with winds up to 65 mph. Nate is located about 90 miles northeast of Cozumel, Mexico.

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Nate is moving toward the north-northwest near 22 mph, and is expectedto continue to travel this way through Saturday, with a turn toward the north and northeast expected Saturday night and Sunday.

Nate's center will move near the northeastern coast of the Yucatan peninsula Friday evening. The storm will then move into the southern Gulf of Mexico, approach the northern Gulf coast Saturday, and then make landfall over the northern Gulf coastSaturday night or Sunday.

UPDATE: 4 p.m. CT

Nate continues to strengthen as it approaches the northeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and Yucatan Channel, where it could near hurricane strength.

Life-threatening storm surge flooding is likely along parts of the northern Gulf Coast. A storm surge warning is now in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton county line in Florida. Nate will bring three to six inches of rain, with isolated totals of 10 inches from the central Gulf Coast states into the eastern Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians through the weekend.

A hurricane warning has been issued for New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. Parishes in the metro area are beginning to offer sandbags for residents ahead of Nate.

Residents have been asked to clear drains and ditches around their homes and make sure all items around their property are picked up or brought inside.

A storm surge warning is now in effect east of the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line.

A tropical storm warning is now in effect east of the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line.

Maximum sustained winds are up to 60 mph.

UPDATE: 1 p.m. CT

As Tropical Storm Nate strengthens over the Caribbean Sea, hurricane and storm surge warnings have been issued for the northern Gulf Coast as it looks likely to make landfall late Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane warning is in effect from Grand Isle, La., east to the Alabama-Florida border. There is a tropical storm warning in effect for metropolitan New Orleans, as well.

CLICK HERE here for an interactive map of active watches and warnings.

Maximum sustained winds are up to 50 miles per hour, with the storm speeding up to 21 mph on its north-northwest course. The storm could be near hurricane intensity when it approaches Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula later Friday.

After an expected landfall overnight Saturday into Sunday, the fast-moving storm is expected to drop 3 to 6 inches of rain, with up to 12 inches in some spots. It should weaken quickly but bring rain to much of the eastern U.S., bringing heavy rain and the possibility of flash floods to the eastern Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians.

NOAA

NHC forecast cone as of 1 p.m. CT.

Original story:

Tropical Storm Nate roared along Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Friday after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 22 deaths, and forecasters said it could reach the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend.

Louisiana officials declared a state of emergency and ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall early Sunday, and evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.

Nate had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph by Friday afternoon and was likely to strengthen over the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Friday before a possible strike on the Cancun region at the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula at near-hurricane strength. It could hit the U.S. Gulf coast near New Orleans.

In Nicaragua, Nate’s arrival followed two weeks of near-constant rain that had left the ground saturated and rivers swollen. Authorities placed the whole country on alert and warned of flooding and landslides.

Nicaragua’s vice president and spokeswoman, Rosario Murillo, said that at least 15 people had died in that country due to the storm. She didn’t give details on all the deaths, but said two women and a man who worked for the Health Ministry were swept away by a flooded canal in the central municipality of Juigalpa.

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organism blamed seven deaths in that country on the storm and said 15 people were missing. Flooding drove 5,000 residents into emergency shelters.

In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and mobilized 1,300 National Guard troops, with 15 headed to New Orleans to monitor the fragile pumping system there.

With forecasts projecting landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane, Edwards urged residents to ready for rainfall, storm surge and severe winds — and to be where they intend to hunker down by “dark on Saturday.”

Louisiana’s governor says Nate is forecast to move quickly, rather than stall and drop tremendous amounts of rain on the state. State officials hope that means New Orleans won’t run into problems with its pumps being able to handle the water.

Edwards warned, however, against underestimating the storm.

Officials ordered the evacuation of part of coastal St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans ahead of the storm. Earlier Thursday, a voluntary evacuation was called in the barrier island town of Grand Isle south of New Orleans.

New Orleans officials outlined steps to bolster the city’s pump and drainage system. Weaknesses in that system were revealed during summer flash floods.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s New Orleans office said in a news release that as of midday Thursday, six production platforms, out of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf, had been evacuated. No drilling rigs were evacuated, but one moveable rig was taken out of the storm’s path.

The agency estimated less than 15 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in, which equates to 254,607 barrels of oil per day.Early Friday, the storm was centered about 230 miles south-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and was moving north-northwest at 14 mph.